1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a wobbling toy, in particular, to a wobbling toy which moves while wobbling or tottering, and to a wobbling toy set in which a wobbling toy is operated by magnetic force, in particular, to a wobbling toy set in which the wobbling toy takes an interesting or pretty motion.
2. Description of Related Art
As a wobbling toy which moves with a wobbling, for example, a toy moving forward with a wobbling body, which comprises a body having a shape of a small animal, e.g., a cat, a mouse or the like, and right and left legs which are attached to the body and are moved alternately by a driving device, e.g., a cam mechanism, a link mechanism or the like, which is housed in the body, is known.
Such a wobbling toy is different from one such as a car toy which runs linearly or curvedly, and has the advantage that it can show charm or prettiness like a real small animal by a wobbling of the body. However, when the wobbling toy has a construction in which the right and left legs are moved alternately by a conventional driving device, e.g., a cam mechanism, a link mechanism or the like, generally, the legs are mechanical and stiff in those actions. In order to solve for the stiffness or awkwardness of the actions, it may be considered to introduce a driving device having a more precise mechanism, like a use in the field of a precision robot. However, because such a driving device having a more precise mechanism is expensive, it is hard to incorporate such an expensive driving device in such a small toy because a relatively low cost is required in the field of small toy. There are also another problems that in the conventional wobbling toy, the mechanism for having the right and left legs operate alternately is complicated, so that the number of mechanical elements required for the mechanism is large.
As a wobbling toy set in which a wobbling toy member is operated by magnetic force, one comprising a disc plate with an attached magnet which is provided under a floor, and a wobbling toy member which is moved on the upper surface of the floor by magnetic force according to rotation of the disc plate, is known.
However, there is a problem that only rotation of the disc plate gives only a very monotonous motion, i.e., an uninteresting motion, to the wobbling toy member.
The invention has been made in view of the above problems.
An object of the invention is to provide a wobbling toy which moves with wobbling smoothly.
Another object of the invention is to provide a wobbling toy set having a simple structure, in which the wobbling toy makes an interesting motion.
In accordance with an aspect of the invention, the wobbling toy comprising: a body, a shaft attached to the body, and a wheel which is rotatable around the shaft, for moving the body, wherein the wheel is attached out of perpendicular to the shaft.
For example, the wobbling toy may have a structure to be pushed by hand, a structure to be pulled by using a string or a structure to move by a motor or a power spring. Further, it may have a structure to move by magnetic force, as shown in FIG. 2. It may have any structure so long as the body of the toy wobbles from side to side by rolling of the wheel.
According to such a wobbling toy, because the wheel is attached out of perpendicular to the shaft, the body of the toy wobbles from side to side with rolling of the wheel. Thus, because the wobbling is realized by rolling of the wheel, the wobbling of the body can be carried out smoothly and thereby, for example, a wobbling toy having an imitated shape of a small animal can show charm or prettiness like a real small animal by a smooth wobbling of the body. Even when a driving device for the wheel, e.g., a motor, a power spring or the like, is loaded, the driving device does not require a large size nor a complicated structure.
Preferably, the wobbling toy travels by a magnetic force. According to such a wobbling toy, it is possible to move the toy with wobbling by making a magnetic member or a magnet function from the outside, without a specific driving means for wobbling.
The wheel may comprise a magnet, and the wobbling toy may travel by a magnetic force which exerts to the magnet of the wheel. In order to have a magnetic force on the wobbling toy, for example, another magnetic member or another magnet may be provided to function under the floor.
According to the wobbling toy, it is possible to move the toy with wobbling by the magnetic member or the magnet exerting effect to the magnet of the wheel from the outside.
Preferably, the magnet of the wheel has an S-pole and an N-pole in a thickness direction of the wheel.
When setting the polarities of the magnetic member or the magnet provided under the floor in reverse against that of the magnet of the wheel, the magnet of the wheel follows the movement of the magnetic member or the magnet provided under the floor. When the polarity direction of the magnetic member or the magnet under the floor is reversed, the direction of the wobbling toy on the floor also follows the movement thereof rapidly. Accordingly, for example, a wobbling toy having an imitated shape of a small animal can show charm or prettiness like a real small animal by a smooth wobbling of the body.
The body of the wobbling toy may be divided into a plurality of parts, one of which may be connected with the next part by a pivot, to swing horizontally with respect to the next part. The number of parts may be two or more. The wobbling toy having such a structure is adapted to an imitated wobbling toy of an animal, a vehicle or the like, having a long body, e.g., snake, insect, fish, train, or the like.
According to the wobbling toy having such a structure, when the toy is moved, the body is wobbling while the divided parts swing horizontally with respect to the next part. Accordingly, it enables the wobbling toy to become more amusing.
A projection piece which is made of soft material to swing, may be attached to an outer surface of the body.
The wobbling toy having such a structure is adapted to an imitated wobbling toy of an animal having a long swingable portion, e.g., an insect having long antennas, a rabbit having a pair of long ears, an aquatic animal having barbels or fins, or the like. The projection piece may be made of soft material enough to swing with traveling, for example, paper, resin, rubber or the like.
According to the wobbling toy having such a structure, when the toy is moved, the body is wobbling while the projection piece also swings side to side. Accordingly, it enables the wobbling toy to become more amusing.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the wobbling toy set comprises: a wobbling toy member comprising a first magnetic body, and a driving device comprising a wrapping connector driving mechanism having a wrapping member and first and second wrapped members around which the wrapping member is wrapped, wherein a second magnetic body which exerts to the first magnetic body to move the wobbling toy member, is attached to the wrapping member.
The term xe2x80x9cwrapping connector driving mechanismxe2x80x9d means a mechanism comprising a wrapping member (wrapping connector), and a plurality of rotational wrapped members (wheels) around which the wrapping member is wrapped to transmit the rotational force of one of the wrapped members to the other. The wrapping member is made of a flexible material and can make resistance to a tension, e.g., a belt, a rope chain, rubber or the like.
According to the wobbling toy set, it is possible to move the wobbling toy member in a desired direction by arranging the plurality of rotational wrapped members appropriately. Accordingly, it enables the wobbling toy set to become more amusing.
Preferably, the driving device further comprises a reciprocal motor as a driving source for the wrapping connector driving mechanism.
According to the wobbling toy set having such a structure, because the wrapping member can be rotated reciprocally, it is possible to change the motion of the wobbling toy member. Accordingly, it enables the wobbling toy to become more amusing.
Preferably, the second magnetic body can be turned around a position on the wrapping member according to a change of rotational direction of the wrapping member to change magnetic poles of the second magnetic body.
According to the wobbling toy set having such a structure, because the direction of the magnetic poles of the second magnetic body can be changed according to the change of rotational direction of the wrapping member, at the same time, the direction of the wobbling toy member is also changed. Accordingly, it enables the wobbling toy to become more amusing.
The wrapping connector driving mechanism may further comprise a moving member for moving one of the first and second wrapped members to change a position of the one of the first and second wrapped members with respect to the other.
According to the wobbling toy set having such a structure, it is possible to give a further complicated motion to the wobbling toy member by changing the position of the one of the first and second wrapped members to the other. Accordingly, it enables the wobbling toy to become further more amusing.
In the wobbling toy set, preferably, the wobbling toy member comprises: a body, a shaft attached to the body, and a wheel which is rotatable around the shaft, for moving the body, wherein the wheel is attached out of perpendicular to the shaft.
According to the wobbling toy set having such a structure, because the wheel is attached out of perpendicular to the shaft, the body of the toy member wobbles from side to side with rolling of the wheel. Thus, because the wobbling is realized by rolling of the wheel, the wobbling of the body can be carried out smoothly. Accordingly, it enables the wobbling toy to become more amusing.
The first magnetic body may comprise a magnetic wheel which has an S-pole and an N-pole in a thickness direction thereof, and the second magnetic body may comprise a magnet which has an S-pole and an N-pole in a direction approximately parallel to a surface on which the wobbling toy member travels.
According to the wobbling toy set having such a structure, when setting the polarities of the magnetic member or the magnet provided under the floor in reverse against that of the magnet of the wheel, the magnet of the wheel follows the movement of the magnetic member or the magnet provided under the floor. When the polarity direction of the magnetic member or the magnet under the floor is reversed, the direction of the wobbling toy member on the floor also follows the movement thereof to be reversed. Accordingly, it enables the wobbling toy to become more amusing.
The body of the wobbling toy member may be divided into a plurality of parts, one of which is connected with a next part by a pivot, to swing horizontally with respect to the next part.
According to the wobbling toy set having such a structure, when the toy member is moved, the body is wobbling while the divided parts swing horizontally with respect to the next part. Accordingly, it enables the wobbling toy to become more amusing.
The wobbling toy member may have a shape of an imitated aquatic animal. Because the wobbling toy member moves with wobbling, it is possible to reproduce a motion similar to that of an aquatic animal. Accordingly, it enables the wobbling toy to become more amusing.
In accordance with a further aspect of the invention, the wobbling toy set comprises: a ground plate, a wobbling toy member provided on an upper surface of the ground plate, comprising a body, a shaft attached to the body, and a magnetic wheel which is rotatable around the shaft, for moving the body, wherein the magnetic wheel having an S-pole and an N-pole in a thickness direction thereof is attached out of perpendicular to the shaft, and a driving device provided under the ground plate, comprising a magnetic body which magnetically exerts to the magnetic wheel, and a transport member for transporting the magnetic body along a lower surface of the ground plate and along a desired transportation course.
According to the wobbling toy set having such a structure, because the wheel is attached out of perpendicular to the shaft, the body of the toy wobbles from side to side with rolling of the wheel. Because the wobbling is realized by rolling of the wheel, the wobbling of the body can be carried out smoothly. Further, it is possible to move the toy member with wobbling by making the magnetic body function from the underneath the ground plate.
Preferably, the magnetic body has a direction of N-pole to S-pole which is approximately parallel to the lower surface of the ground plate, and the direction of N-pole to S-pole of the magnetic body can be changed when a transportation direction for the transport member is reversed.